Spring-hinge



(No Model.)

W. R. WEBSTER.

SPRING HINGE.

Patented May 19,1891.

\ ATIORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT 7 OFFICE XVALTER R. IVEBSTER, OF PINEGROVE, CALIFORNIA.

SPRING-HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 452,685, dated May 19,1891.

Application filed August 29, 1890. Serial No. 363,409. (No model.) 4

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER R. WEBSTER, of Pine Grove, in the county ofAmador and State of California, have invented a new and Improved Devicefor Automatically Closing the Lids of lVatenClosets, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a device for automatically closing the lids ofwater-closets the moment that the seat is unoccupied, and has for itsobject to accomplish such a result by means of simple and durablemechanism capable of being conveniently and expeditiously applied to anyform of closet.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar figures and letters of referenceindicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a closet having my improvements appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1, the lidbeing shown in a closed position. Fig. 3 is a similar section, the lid,however, being illustrated as elevated. Fig.4 is a detail perspectiveView of the pivotal back. block of the seat. Fig. 5 is a detailperspective view of one member of the hinge-connection between the lidand casing of the closet, and Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of theother member of the said hinge-connection.

The hinges A, which connect the lid 10 with the frame 11 of the closet,are preferably two in number and of essentially like construction,.thesaid hinges consisting of two members a and (0. (Shown in detail inFigs. 5 and 6.) The member a is adapted for attachment to-the lid orcover 10, and the said member to that end consists of an upperface-plate 12, which is carried down at its rear edge, forming avertical member 13, and inward a distance beneath the faceplate 12,which inward extension constitutes a lower horizontal member 14.Integral with the vertical member 13 at one end thereof a circularmember 15 is formed, which member constitutes a knuckle. The knuckle 15is rovided in its P periphery with a diametrical groove or channel16,preferably angular in cross-section, and

the interior of the knuckle is provided with a recess 17, which recessextends through the periphery from a point just below the groove orchannel 16 to the lower edge of the vertical member 13. A vertical slot18 is produced in each side face of the knuckle, which slots are inhorizontal alignment, and in the central portion of each side face ofthe knuckle horizontally-aligning apertures 19 are formed. The upperedge of the vertical member 13 is concaved in two depths, the concavedsurface I) being deeper than the surface I), which is the outer endsurface. The member a consists of a single casting or forging and issomewhat rectangular in general contour, being open at the back and atone side, as illustrated in Fig. 6, and the interior is dividedvirtually into two compartments by a partition 20, forming thereby oneclosed compartment 21. In the side walls of the compartment 21horizontally-aligning apertures 22 are made, and from the inner sidesurface at each end of the hinge-section Ct a knuckle 23 is outwardlyand upwardly projected, the said knuckles being provided with aligningapertures 24. The inner face of the section, between the closed end andthe partition 20, is provided with a re cess 25, adapted to receive theknuckle 15 of the opposed member a. The lower portion of the recess 25is of less width than the upper portion, and the end wall of thecontracted portion of the recess is provided with an inwardlyextendingguide-lug 26. The upper edge of the inner face of the hingesection a"between the recess 25 and the open end is concave, as illustrated at b'lVithin the compartment 21 a pawl 27 is pivoted, the pivotal pin 28being passed through the apertures 22 in the walls of said compartment.The back; of the pawl 27 bears against a spring 29,which spring isfastened to the upper wall of the compartment 21. The pawl near itsupper end upon its inner face, is provided with an angular lip 30, whichlip is adapted to enter the groove or channel 16 in the knuckle of thehinge member a. p

The rear edge of the seat 31 near each end has attached thereto a block13, which block consists of a vertical member 32, provided in its upperend with an aperture 33, and from the inner face of the vertical member32 two horizontal plates 3i and 35 are projected,one located above theother, the lower plate being preferably the longer. The member a of thehinge A is secured to the lid or cover 10 by means of screws orequivalent devices, the edge of the lid or cover passing between theface-plate 12 and the lower horizontal member 14.

The member a of the hinge is secured to the casing-11 of the closet insuch manner that the knuckle 15 of the member a will enter and turn inthe upper and enlarged portion of the recess 25, and when the knuckle 15is thus located one of the knuckles of the member a will bear upon theconcaved end surface I) of the member a, and the opposite knuckle willbe located immediately outside of the recessed knuckle 15, as shown inFig. 1. When the knuckle 15 enters the recess 25, the lip or tooth 30 ofthe pawl 27 engages with and travels upon the peripheral surface of thesaid knuckle 15, as shown in Figs. 2 and The hingeconnection of the twomembers is effected bypassing a pintlc 36 through the apertures 24: ofthe knuckles of the member a, and the apertures 19 of the knuckle 15 ofthe opposed member. The seat is supported by the knuckle 15, and this iseffected by causing the vertical member of the block 13 to extend upwardwithin the recess 17 of the knuckle 15, and passing pintles 37 throughthe apertures of the block and the slots 18 of the knuckle.

Each hinge is put together in the same manner, and each pintle-block Iof the seat is engaged by the lower end of a pawl 27. The guide-lug 2Gis formed upon the members a of the hinge in order to reduce the widthof the recess 21 to accommodate the width of the block.

Each hinge is provided with a spring coiled around its pintle 36 betweenthe knuckles 15 and 23 over the concaved edge I) of the hingesection a.I have designated the springs in the drawings, Fig. 1, as (Z and d, asthe two springs are coiled in opposite directions, so

that when one is uncoiled by the movement of the lid 10 or the action ofthe hinge, the other is being coiled. The springs have their endsattached in any suitable or approved manner to the knuckles 15 and 23.

In operation, when the lid is closed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, as thelid is carried upward to an open position, (shown in Fig. 3,) the spring(Z is coiled and the spring (1 is uncoiled, and when thelid is broughtto an sentia-lly perpendicular position the knuckles 15 will have beenrevolved suihcicntly to enable the lips 30 of the pawls 27 to enter theperipheral groove 16, as shown in Fig. 8,

andthc said pawls eii'cctually retain the lid in this position while themovement of the knuckles 15 will have carried the hinge-blocks B of theseat vertically downward to a hearing upon a suitable support providedfor them, as illustrated in the said Fig. 3. As soon as the seatisoccupieditis, by the weight of the person and natural position, throwndown and back until the block B strikes the pawl 27, thereby disengagingthe pawl from the knuckle 15, and the weight of the person on the seatretains it in that position so long as occupied, as the peculiarposition of the block in the slot 18, together with the association ofsaid block with the pintle 36, renders it impossible for the hinge torevolve. Therefore the pawl 27 is not in use at this time. When theperson rises, the spiral spring acts before the strap-spring engagingthe pawl has a chance to do so, as the full weight and resistance of theseat and its block is against the pawh Thus the spiral spring causes thehinge to revolve, and the opportunity for the pawl 27 again to engagethe knuckle 15 is passed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination, with the casing of a closet andthe lid thereof, of hinges connecting the said lid and casing, andsprings actuating the hinges, which springs are oppositely wound,whereby one is coiled when the other is uncoiled, as and for the purposespecified.

2. In a closet, the combination, with the lid, the casing, and the seat,of springhinges connecting the casing and the lid, the springs of thehinges being coiled in opposite directions, and blocks attached to theseat and connected with the hinges, substantially as described, wherebywhen the lid is raised the seat is lowered, and when the lid is loweredthe seat is elevated.

3. In a closet, the combination, with the cover, casing, and seat, ofspring-hinges conmeeting the cover and easing, one knuckle of the saidhinges being slotted, and blocks attached to the seat, the upper ends ofwhich blocks are pivoted in the slots of the hingeknuckles,substantially as specified.

t. In a closet, the combination, with the lid and easing, of hingesconnecting the lid and the casing, each hinge being provided with anactuating-spring, and said hinges consisting of two members, the knuckleof one member being adapted to enter a recess in the oppositen1e1nbcr,the entering knuckle being provided with a peripheral grooveand the entered recess with a spring-controlled pawl adapted to entersaid groove, substan tially as shown and described.

5. In a closet, the combination, with the cover, casing, and seat, ofspring-controlled hinges connecting the cover and easing, the springs ofwhich hinges are wound in opposite directions, and the said hingesconsisting blocks attached to the seat, pivoted at their of two members,one provided with a knuckle I ends in slots produced in the saidknuckles, and the other with a recess to receive the as and for thepurpose specified.

knuckle, the knuckle having a peripheral WALTER R. WEBSTER. grooveproduced therein, and the recess be- Witnesses: ing provided with aspring-controlled pawl I B. H. SCHAOHT, adapted to enter theknucklegroove, and H. C. ADAMS.

